Reconciliation
by PhoenixFlame53
Summary: This is the sequel to my previous fic, Earthquake; I fully reccommend you read that first. :) Anyway, after two violent earthquakes and a prediction that more are to come, Phoenix has taken Edgeworth to the Wright Anything Agency so that he can stay there until the earthquakes have subsided. Just what will they get up to...?
1. Welcome To The Wright Anything Agency

Reconciliation

OK, so this is the sequel to Earthquake! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have coming up with it. :)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Phoenix Wright saga, Miles Edgeworth (*sigh*), or the picture shown above. (Whoever did that is a pretty good artist. :D)  
The only things I do own are this fanfiction and the ideas behind it.

* * *

Chapter 1: This Is An _Office?!_

Apollo Justice was watering Charley, his mentor's pot plant, as he looked slowly around the room that made up the Wright Anything Agency. It was a disorganised and cluttered office with magic tricks, poker chips and one or two empty grape juice bottles strewed around the place, but it was to be expected, wasn't it? After all, an amateur lawyer like Apollo sharing the office with a professional lawyer and poker player, and relaxing in it with both him and his aspiring magician of a daughter was not something you would see every day.

After making sure that he had put the exact amount of water in Charley's pot- Phoenix Wright, his mentor and good friend, was extremely fond of Charley and insisted that Apollo tried his utmost best to keep him in pristine condition- he sat down and placed his hands behind his head in relaxation.

_I must say, I've grown to love this place. I really haven't thanked Mr Wright enough for letting me work here; I mean, he agreed to mentor me after my original mentor was arrested, he helped me through a lot of things and he….inspired me. He always did, and I-_

Sadly, Apollo's introspection was interrupted by a series of loud knocks intermittently sounding from outside the front door. Getting off the sofa in shock, he stood watching the door in silence until he heard a very familiar voice.

"Hey, Apollo? Could you let us in?"

_Ah, it's just Mr Wright, _he thought, walking towards the door and reaching for the rusted doorknob. _Hang on…let 'us' in?_

Opening the door a very small fraction, he sighed in relief to see a man wearing a blue beanie hat smiling up at him, and let him in. Apollo sat back down and made himself comfortable while he waited for Phoenix to close the door; a cold breeze was rolling in, and it made both of them didn't close the door, however, and finally out of curiosity Apollo peered over at the entrance to see what exactly his mentor was waiting for. He didn't have to wait long, for Miles Edgeworth, esteemed prosecutor and logical genius, walked inside and immediately turned in shock towards Phoenix.

"Wright…" he gaped, searching the room for any sign of cleanliness, "T-this is….an _office?!_"

_O-offices are supposed to be clean….tidy…. in order….and at least somewhere you can work!H-how does he…_

Phoenix chuckled and closed the door behind Edgeworth with a slam, causing him to jump and hastily look behind him.

"Welcome to the Wright Anything Agency, Edgeworth."

Apollo jumped at the name 'Edgeworth'. Indeed, even after all these years Edgeworth had been able to maintain his reputation, and as well as wanting to meet a man of his calibre Apollo had also heard much about Edgeworth from Phoenix. At nights, before Trucy went to sleep, Phoenix would tell his adopted daughter story after story about his past; most of the said stories including Edgeworth. Apollo was able to hear these accounts easily- as he lived next door to them- and even though he thought that a lot of the information was heavily exaggerated (His assistant would _never_ be able to eat _that_ many burgers…right?), he couldn't help but listen intently to them, fascinated by each and every detail.

Sadly, the harsh reality was that Apollo would never be able to experience anything as amazing as what his mentor had done- or so he thought.

_Right, Apollo. Try introducing yourself. I-It isn't going to be that hard, is it…?_

"G-good afternoon, sir. I-I'm Apollo…Apollo Justice." he managed to get out, holding out his hand.

Edgeworth seemed taken aback by Apollo's sudden greeting, but nevertheless shook his hand back, turning Apollo a faint shade of pink. "Miles Edgeworth," he began, a smile creeping onto his lips, "Nice to meet you."

An awkward silence filled the room as Phoenix went to prepare some tea (Earl Grey, one sugar, a short dash of milk- just how Edgeworth liked it) and Apollo struggled to think of what to say.

_C-come on, Apollo! You can at least think of something….For goodness sake, this is Miles Edgeworth you're speaking to here!_

"Uh…um….so, what brings you to our humble office? Heh heh…" he spluttered, trying to supress his nerves as best he could. Edgeworth, at Apollo's strange question, sat down and presently received a cup of Earl Grey from Phoenix.

"It's a long story, _fanboy_." interrupted Phoenix, collapsing on the sofa beside Edgeworth. Apollo, however, merely laughed at his new accolade- seeming much more confident than before.

"_Fanboy? _Mr Edgeworth, you should have heard Mr Wright talking about you. He would go on and on for hours about your adventures together..."

"Th-that's enough, Apollo." Phoenix blushed, turning towards Edgeworth in utter embarrassment and looking down at the carpet beneath his feet."Sorry, Edgeworth. Ijust _couldn't_ tell Trucy about my past without mentioning you…"

Edgeworth, for a moment, was touched by Wright's remark- but his sudden happiness was broken by a short, agitated scream and the slam of the door being thrown open.

"Daddy! I can't find Marvin anywhere….!" a young girl of about 15, clad in extremely strange magician's attire, cried out as she jumped into her father's outstretched arms- choking back tears and trying her best to calm herself down. Slowly and tenderly, Phoenix reached out his hand and stroked Trucy's head, which to Edgeworth's shock worked perfectly; she immediately fell silent, thoughts of the situation she faced that could make or break her performance the following day forgotten for a brief moment.

"Do you think he ran off in the quake? He'd probably be scared.." she murmured, looking around the room for any sign of her furry assistant. "I-I-"

"Hush."

Phoenix stood up, leaving Trucy sitting on the couch, and turned to her with a look of fierce determination in his eyes; he knew it was time for a thorough investigation, and as long as he lived he would not leave a stone unturned.

"Me and Apollo will look in the apartments for you, and you and Mr. Edgeworth over there will look in here, 'kay?"

"Yep!" Trucy agreed, an excited smile lighting up her face. Running up to Edgeworth, she shook his hand as the two defence attorneys left to search for Marvin upstairs.

Edgeworth sat, stock still, thoughts running through his head as Trucy grinned childishly up at him.

_I-I never thought…Wright, of all people, as a father…He's raised his daughter extremely , I can't help thinking that she acts a bit young for her age. Is it just me…?_

"So _you're_ Mr. Edgeworth!" she exclaimed, looking him up and down in a manner that made Edgeworth feel very uneasy.

"You look exactly like Daddy described you. He says you're his best friend! I've always wanted to meet you, you know, because Daddy always tells me about the exciting things you did back in the day, and…"

Chuckling as Trucy continued to ramble on, Edgeworth turned away and let out a sigh of pure relief.

_He didn't forget me…_

"Mr. Edgeworth?"

_He never did…_

"Mr. Edgeworth? We have to search for Marvin!"

_And he still cares, after all these years.  
I owe him so, so much-_

"Mr. Edgeworth!"

_SMACK! _

"O-ow! What was that for?! Be careful!"

Clutching his left arm in pain, Edgeworth snapped back to reality and turned around, a harsh, icy glare in his eyes. Trucy took a step back, alarmed, her eyes wide- and Edgeworth let out a small gasp of shock.

_D-did I frighten her? What did I-_

…_I think I shouldn't have riled up so_ _easily...That was foolish of me._

Edgeworth fell silent and hung his head, almost ashamed of himself. As he stared at the floor he heard a voice from long ago; a voice that he had tried to forget but could not, even though it caused him great pain.

It was the voice of his father.

"_Miles….Stay calm, and relax. Just apologize as best you can."_

_But, Father, _he thought, _how __**should **__I apologize? I don't know the mind of a teenager- and I do not intend to- however…._

"_Try, Miles. You can do it, and I bet she'll be happy when you do."_

After receiving no other reply from the voice that was now ringing inside his head, Edgeworth sighed and looked up at Trucy.

"Now, um….I didn't mean to shout at you," Edgeworth began, as Trucy raised an eyebrow, "but that really hurt, so please don't do it again."

Trucy paused for a moment, as if hesitating, then raced up to Edgeworth and worriedly looked about his arm.

"I-I'm sorry! Did I actually hurt you badly? Please forgive me, Mr. Edgeworth!" she exclaimed, but before she could say another word Edgeworth had put his index finger to her mouth, silencing her completely.

"It's alright. Accidents happen, you know." he reassured her, smiling weakly."Now, why don't we search for Marvin?"

"Yes!" Trucy exclaimed, hurriedly running off and, to Edgeworth's despair, out of sight. Sighing, Edgeworth sat down on the sofa and pondered what he should do to help find Trucy's beloved mouse.

_She really __**is**__ quite a unique girl…I guess I will have to investigate alone, then, even though I have no idea where I should look._

…_.Hmmm…._

_So, the position of the cage on the floor shows where it fell from, and if the poor animal ran in the opposite direction…._

"Eureka!" Edgeworth cried out, leaping to his feet in excitement- then after hearing peals of laughter from directly above him, turned a bright shade of red that almost matched the hue of his suit.

"Pfft….Edgeworth, what exactly _are_ you doing down there? Watching the Steel Samurai? Working out some algebra? Doing a crossword? M-"

"Be quiet, Wright. I think I've found the mouse," Edgeworth replied, briskly walking over to a human-sized box which made up part of a magic trick and listening closely to every sound, "so I need to concentrate."

"OK, OK, Sherlock." Phoenix laughed, with a sudden hint of disappointment in his voice; it seemed that he had been searching the majority of the time that he was upstairs but had no luck in finding Marvin."Just don't throw a tantrum if you can't find him.""Oh, I assure you, Wright- I will find that mouse before _you_ do.""Really?""Really.""OK, Edgeworth- I bet you a dollar you won't find him.""Deal."

Both of the men laughed, and Apollo sighed heavily, walked over to the pile of thick cardboard boxes he was about to look through, and placed them in front of Phoenix.

_They're acting like two children about to have a race…_

"Look, Mr. Wright. If you want to beat Mr. Edgeworth you may as well start searching." Apollo insisted, gesturing towards the boxes as Phoenix smirked almost triumphantly- totally lost in another world. Remembering all the times that he had faced Edgeworth in court- and beaten him- only made Phoenix more and more determined to win.

He felt like he was investigating a particularly hard case with his trusty assistant, examining every single place and leaving nothing untouched. After many long years without that feeling, he couldn't wait to get started with this task- even if it _was _just searching for his daughter's mouse.

"Just you wait, Edgeworth. Just you wait."

* * *

So, how did you like it? I hope you did. :3

Reviews are helpful! You can tell me if I've done anything wrong (I am a tiny bit forgetful sometimes...), by all means suggest ideas for what Edgey and Phoenix can get up to next, and just state your opinion. :)

...That's about all I have to tell you, so keep on reading and writing.

Tschüß!

(P.S: The word above means bye in German. :D)


	2. I Found It!

Reconciliation

Thank you all for reading and reviewing the first chapter.  
I really appreciate it! :D  
I hope you enjoy this chapter, too.

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Chapter 2: I Found It!

"Wright, you've just lost the bet." Miles Edgeworth remarked, walking smugly towards the giant magic trick box that was used for a trick that involved a person having to get inside of it. It was a little old and frayed, not very colourful, and much too small on the inside for Edgeworth's liking.

_That doesn't matter, though_, thought Edgeworth.

_It's not as if I'll have to get inside it..._

Rapping loudly on the box with his knuckles, which were beginning to turn red from all the knocking, Edgeworth heard all the sounds that soon responded- an reverberating echo and, to his delight, a high-pitched squeak.

_I've got you now..._

Opening the door cautiously so that he could grab the mouse at a moment's notice, Edgeworth smiled in glee- but it was quickly wiped off his face by a small, white object dashing out from next to him and out the entrance to the office.

"Blast! I was _that_ close to getting it..." he moaned, putting his hand to his forehead in despair.

_Well done, Miles. I applaud your amazing reflex skills..._ he thought bitterly, walking away from the magic box with a sigh. It seemed that there was no chance of finding the poor thing now, and it would probably have hidden in a place that was out-of-reach and harder to find.

Suddenly, a delighted scream from outside made Edgeworth jump back in shock.

"Hey, Edgeworth, I found Marvin!"

As Phoenix burst through the door with Trucy (carrying Marvin tenderly in her hands) and

Apollo following close behind, Edgeworth realised what had just happened- Phoenix had caught Marvin the moment he had ran through the gap in the door.

"No...no way! This isn't fair..." Edgeworth cried out, causing Apollo to sigh in annoyance (_Even Mr. Edgeworth is acting childish..._) and Phoenix to raise an eyebrow, evidently puzzled.

"What isn't fair? _I _found him, fair and square- so I win the dollar. Sorry, _Mr. I'm So Jealous-_"

Trucy giggled at Edgeworth's newest nickname as he banged his fists on the coffee table in frustration, knocking a grape juice bottle onto the floor.

"It's not like that! Look, let me explain..."

As Phoenix, Apollo and Trucy sat down, Edgeworth explained that he had first concluded that, because the cage fell from the sofa, Marvin would have run in the direction of the magic trick box. After that, as there was not much space left to run, Marvin climbed up the box and hidden in the hole at the top. Edgeworth deduced that if Marvin _did _hide in the hole, he would be able to tap on the box and hear the mouse's squeak of fright at his action.

"Unfortunately, as I opened the lid, it ran out before I could catch it- and that's where _you _come in. I conclude that you, Wright," Edgeworth announced, pointing his index finger at his rival, "found the mouse after it ran under the door, making _me _the one who should receive that dollar!"

He sighed, however, and sat down, a disappointed look on his face not much different to the look on Phoenix's face at that same moment.

"But, as both of us technically 'found' it- I being the one who found it first, but only saw it for a split second, and you being the one who actually did manage to get it- it's quite hard to decide who gets the dollar, isn't it?"

Phoenix grinned in delight, stood up, crossed his arms and pretended to swagger around the room. Apollo flung his arms into the air and sighed, Trucy giggled like a little girl and Edgeworth glared at him- but couldn't help smirking, as he knew just who Phoenix was trying to impersonate.

"My, we seem to gotten ourselves into quite the predicament. I shall now use the power of logic to solve this mystery once and for all!" Phoenix stated loudly, trying his best to keep a pretentious look on his face and not burst out laughing- so his voice came out in a sort of high-pitched squeak, not unlike one's voice after consuming helium.

"Eureka! I have cracked the case! Detective Gumshoe, take a look at this for me…"

Edgeworth stood up, also trying to not burst out in laughter. Phoenix mentally noted that Edgeworth did this extremely well- but it was to be expected; Miles Edgeworth was as good at keeping his true feelings to himself as he was at prosecuting.

"Wright, I _do not_ talk, walk, or look like that."

_That was the worst impression of me I have ever seen._

…_.It's also the only one._

"Well, maybe you don't sound _that _high-pitched, but I'm pretty sure everything else was accurate. Don't you, Edgeworth?" Phoenix queried, raising an eyebrow in mock surprise.

"No, I don't!" he laughed. "I mean, who would ever think-"

"Hey, Edgeworth's No.1 Fanboy! Yoo-hoo!" Phoenix yelled, causing Apollo to come back down to reality in an instant- it seemed he had been thinking deeply about different things, such as law, actually meeting Miles Edgeworth in the flesh, mice, and more law-related things.

"W-what?" Apollo asked, while Phoenix stood up and smiled innocently.

"Nothing important, but…doesn't your role model walk like this?"

Phoenix repeated his very strange impression once more, as Apollo glared at him savagely.

"No, that does not look like Miles Edgeworth." Apollo stated, quickly turning a light shade of pink, and at his remark Edgeworth turned to Phoenix triumphantly.

"You see? You can't impersonate me well," Edgeworth announced, "and neither can you walk like I do. But on the contrary, I _can _walk like my best friend…"

Edgeworth started to walk in a straight line from where he had been standing, swaying to and fro as he did so, a big grin plastered on his face. Trucy and Apollo couldn't help sniggering, and Edgeworth laughed heartily along with them, as if he had known them for as long as he had known Phoenix.

Phoenix didn't know, at that moment, if the grin Edgeworth wore was part of the impression or a genuine smile. He didn't think about how accurate the impression was. He didn't even put up an argument about it.

Instead, he slowly sat down on the sofa and smiled, feeling extremely happy and relieved.

_He said I was his best friend….after all these years, he's finally said it to my face…and also to someone else's._

_Thanks, Miles. You've really made my day, you know that?_

_And remember that I will __**always **__be there for you, no matter the cost._

Soon after he had joined Edgeworth, Apollo and Trucy in their 'Let's do an impression!' game, Phoenix realised something and burst into laughter, leaving the others to merely raise an eyebrow at his strange behaviour.

_We still haven't decided on who won the bet…_

_And I don't think we even will if this carries on._

* * *

Klavier Gavin was sitting in his office, spinning around on his chair and being…well, _bored_.

Not too long ago, he had received some important files for a case he was prosecuting and had to start the investigation straight away, but he had been paired up with a very absent-minded, trench coat-wearing detective and wasn't able to find much to help his case.

In a bad mood, disappointed by the lack of evidence and the lack of his usual partner Ema Skye (_Ach, how I wish Fräulein Skye was here helping me… es ist sehr langweilig without her, _he had thought to himself), he had read the case report in his office cover-to-cover for a good 45 minutes- evidently looking for some sort of revolutionary fact he could use in the upcoming trial.

He didn't find anything much, just the normal things you would find: the evidence list (much shorter than usual), the scene information, and the autopsy. Even though _something _in that autopsy report bugged him, he just couldn't put his finger on it, and so he finally decided to just do nothing and spin on his chair; which he had continued to do up until now.

Right now, Klavier was almost bored to the point of certain death- but he suddenly had a great idea. He would go play some music with his band; it would surely help him relax _and _come to a conclusion. That was the simple beauty of music that Klavier knew and loved so much.

As he was about to leave his office, he remembered that the Gavineers had broken up weeks ago, and tears started to form in the corners of his eyes. As much as he tried to get over both the imprisonment of his best friend- _former _best friend- Daryan Crescend, and the subsequent splitting of their band, he couldn't. After all, ever since he was young, Klavier's only dream was to start a band, and after making it reality it was only a matter of time before it was gone.

After some moments of thought, he solemnly sat down on his brown spinning office chair and wept silently, his head in hands.

_Why, cruel fate? Just what I needed after a bad day at the office…_

_Why do I always feel like the entire Welt is against me?!_

A deafening knock at the mahogany door was enough to stop the tears falling from his face. Frantically, Klavier tried to wipe them away before his surprise visitor entered, but it was too late; the door had burst open as Franziska von Karma stormed in.

"Herr Gavin! Why didn't you open the door for me? You are so…so…faul sometimes!"

Klavier blushed a deep shade of red and tried his best to keep his composure around the extremely beautiful yet extremely harsh prosecutor that had entered his office.

"I-I was just…um…reading a report on a case. Ja! A case report…" he stuttered, holding up the case report he had gotten bored of ages ago and allowing it to be hastily taken from him. Franziska looked at every single section, flipping through the pages carefully as if trying not to crease them, and gasped in disbelief when she came to the back cover.

"Herr Gavin?" Her tone sounded a lot softer now, and she looked very sad.

_..H-hast du ein Problem, Fräulein von Karma?_

_D-did I do something wrong?_

"J-Ja?" Klavier asked, wringing his hands together in anguish.

"Have you been crying? There are tear marks on the back here…and there is quite a lot. A-are you alright?"

_Oh, great….she saw the marks…_

_She doesn't have to feel sorry for me, though._

"Um…it was just about the band. Don't worry about it, Fräulein." he managed to get out, until he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I see…It was foolish of me to ask about such a sensitive subject. Tut mir leid, Herr Gavin…"

He had to muster all the courage inside of him to try not to express his feelings right then and there, and it worked- but just barely. He assumed that by this point, he was either dreaming, his heart had stopped, or Lady Luck has been extremely generous today.

"I-It's OK."

Franziska smiled, and he smiled back. Another lucky thing was that he had gotten onto her good side from the first day she had come back from work overseas, and after a few months of getting used to him Franziska had stopped whipping him. Instead, she used the odd snide remark, but Klavier merely smiled and changed the conversation to something of Franziska's personal interest.

"I also have to thank you for earlier. Miles would have been so afraid on his own, after two earthquakes to face… I'm glad I could count on you."

"W-what?" Klavier spluttered. He certainly didn't remember checking on Edgeworth, nor a request to.

Franziska looked extremely confused.

"B-but I… asked you earlier! I passed you in the corridor, remember?"

"N-nein…That never happened, Fräulein. You must be confused, that's all."

"But I _did _see you! Or was someone dressed as you? If I find out who did this, I will-

"Hang on a moment!" Klavier exclaimed, laughing as a sudden idea dawned on him.

"I think I have an idea of who it was…"

* * *

Second chapter complete! :D  
I hope you liked this one. I know it was a bit sneaky of me to not tell you who won the bet, but it's all part of the plan. :)

Keep reviewing! It's great for getting ideas.  
One of the reviews for chapter 1 gave me a great idea that I may use in a future chapter, so..yeah! Look forward to it!

Oh, and before I forget, it's time to fire up the PROSECUTRANSLATOR!  
Here is Klavier and Franziska's German speech...in English!

_Es ist sehr langweilig_ - It is very boring  
_ Welt_- world  
_Faul_- lazy  
_Ja_- Yes  
_Nein_- No  
_Tut mir leid_- I am sorry  
_Hast du ein Problem?_- Do you have a problem?

* * *

Just so you know, I won't be using much advanced German words and sentences, as I'm still learning them at school. :D

If any German speakers find a mistake in my German, however, please tell me! I can change it right away, and it will help me too. :)

Auf Wiedersehen!

(Another word for goodbye in German. :3)


	3. Sleeping

Reconciliation

So, it's time for the third chapter!  
Let's hope it goes well for our two besties... :3  
Have fun reading!

* * *

Chapter 3: Sleeping

"Wright, I'm _really_ tired. Can I have a cup of tea, please?"

Miles Edgeworth sat down on one of the Wright Anything Agency's comfortable blue sofas and looked hopefully at his friend Phoenix Wright, who briefly checked the box of cheap Earl Grey tea bags and smirked in delight.

"Sorry, Sherlock, but you finished all the tea bags."

"Then, could you buy a new box with the dollar you gave me?"

Phoenix remembered the decision about that dollar and felt a horrible sinking feeling return to his stomach.

After a while, everyone had agreed that Edgeworth should receive the dollar, as he found Marvin first- but Phoenix had been the one to actually _catch _the poor thing and return it to his daughter safely.

Even though he didn't really mind Edgeworth getting the dollar- it was just a dollar, anyway- Phoenix couldn't help feeling extremely disappointed in himself. After all, he had not seen his rival for many, many years now- surely he should have won? Surely he _could _have done it?

_Oh, stop it, Phoenix. You know you can't beat Miles Edgeworth in an investigation, _he thought to himself, smiling once more, _and you never will._

"Why do _I_ have to do your jobs for you, Edgeworth? You know the shop is only five minutes away…" he moaned, collapsing down onto the sofa beside his best friend.

"Look, you need some exercise. How much _have_ you been doing lately?"

"Uh…well…um, I…."

"See what I mean, Wright?" Edgeworth remarked triumphantly. "You need to get outside, and a walk to the shops is quick and easy."

"Says the one that takes his snazzy sports car everywhere…"

"I-I didn't take it _here, _you know!"

Suddenly, both of them heard a deep, irritated sigh from outside the door, and before the door even opened they knew who it was.

It was Apollo Justice.

"_I'll _get the teabags, Mr. Wright. You don't have to worry…"

Phoenix immediately grinned and looked over at Edgeworth, who crossed his arms in disappointment, looking around at the cluttered, untidy office; it looked like Phoenix spent hours, even days in here.

_I suppose I won't be getting him to exercise right now._

_He really needs to get outside, though._

_. . ._

_Like I'm one to talk…_

"And…uh…Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Yes?" Edgeworth asked, turning towards an extremely red-faced Apollo.

"I…suggest you take a nap before I get back. I also have to stop off at my…. _kind-of _friend's house, so I may take a while."

"Oh? Why are you going so soon?" Phoenix laughed in mock surprise, standing up and taking a step closer to Apollo. "Are you going to gush about finally meeting the famous Miles Edgeworth?"

Apollo stood still, unable to think of a good response to that, before he hastily ran off and slammed the door loudly. Sounds of running a few feet from the door and an elevator moving up to their floor could be heard shortly after, and Edgeworth shuddered for a brief moment before turning to Phoenix, a small frown on his face.

"Why are you so…mean to him, Wright? It's almost as if you enjoy teasing him…"

Phoenix thought for a moment.

"All mentors must tease their protégés sometimes, right? Didn't yours, Edgeworth? I mean-

"Wright, you should _know _what my mentor was like!" Edgeworth snapped, turning away from Phoenix in almost an instant. Memories came flooding back of years ago, years that he didn't _ever _want to remember again- and memories of earlier today, of the earthquakes, of _everything_.

A cold, solitary tear snaked down Edgeworth's cheek as Phoenix winced, cursing under his breath.

_How could I have forgotten?! _

_The whole point of me bringing him here was to help him __**forget**__ about those memories…_

_Not remember them!_

"Look, Wright. I know you didn't mean to bring that up at all, but…let's not carry on with that conversation."

Phoenix sighed in relief and smiled weakly, nodding in agreement.

"Yes, I agree. You need to sleep, anyway, don't you?"

Edgeworth smiled weakly back. It was good to have someone like Wright as a friend; although they drove you mad sometimes, you knew that they cared about you and would do anything to keep you happy.

"I do, indeed. But where am I supposed to sleep, Wright?"

"On the sofa, of course. Where else?"

Edgeworth recoiled in shock, horrified. Phoenix couldn't help but smirk at his priceless expression, and suddenly burst into fits of laughter.

"Wright, I-I cannot sleep on _that_…"

"And why ever not?" Phoenix laughed, almost falling over in his glee.  
"Is it…let's see… _an awfully illogical decision?_"

Phoenix smirked pretentiously and swaggered in a circle around the room, his nose in the air

and his arms crossed to imitate Edgeworth. Edgeworth sighed and walked over to him, putting a firm hand on his shoulder and making him come to a halt directly in front of him.

"Wright, I've told you once: that does _not _look like me. Anyway, I _know _that you were exaggerating this time."

"How so?"

"There are certain ways that a prosecutor must act in order to look respectable," Edgeworth began, "and sticking your nose in the air like that is certaintly _not _one of them."

"Fine, fine. I was joking this time. Now _get to sleep_." Phoenix smiled, pointing in the direction of the sofa.

_This will work, I know it._

_He's too tired to resist…_

Edgeworth walked over to the sofa in defeat, dragging his feet across the floor, and lay down on it. After making himself comfortable he realised that it was actually quite a nice place to sleep; he was almost always used to getting some shut-eye upon his own desk in his office, and to his dismay he woke up with a stiff neck.

_Why did I never sleep on the sofa in my office before?_

_It isn't like anyone would see me, _Edgeworth thought.

_. . ._

_Would they?_

After a while, he felt his eyes starting to gently close- and suddenly felt worried, a feeling of doubt sinking to the bottom of his stomach.

"Wright- I mean, Phoenix?"

"Yes?"

"Are you sure it's alright for me to sleep here? I am visiting, after all, and I don't want to waste your time…"

"Of course it's alright! Listen, everyone needs some sleep- and not all of it needs to be four hours on your office desk, trust me."

Edgeworth smiled gratefully, mumbling his thanks before he fell asleep. Phoenix chuckled and, grabbing a light green quilt from the corner of the room, covered Edgeworth with it.

He didn't know what to do next, however; spending time alone was much more boring than it seemed- and with no clients at the Borscht Bowl Club to play against today, he finally decided to wait until Edgeworth woke up.

Phoenix grew used to the first few minutes alone, twiddling his thumbs and humming the tune to the Nickel Samurai, a show that was very popular with children some years ago.

He remembered his old assistant, a girl who loved shows like that. The Samurai Boogie-Woogie, the Pink Princess, the Evil Magistrate, you name it- she'd know everything about them.

Phoenix had often wondered whether Maya was America's biggest fan of those programmes…until he found out that Edgeworth liked them, too. He could define every single move that Steel Eyesore used in such detail that Phoenix was almost astounded at Edgeworth's knowledge of the show.

Phoenix's favourite memory of the series was when he discovered Maya and Cody- a Samurai fanatic they had met in a case long ago- having a long talk about the latest episode of the Steel Samurai, their all-time favourite of the franchise.

"Hey, Maya! Wasn't the Steel Samurai awesome last night?" Cody had shouted, running over to Maya, who was hastily chomping on a hamburger (yet another of her favourite pastimes).

"Yeah!" Maya agreed, giving Cody an enthusiastic high-five.  
"His special combo move at the end was the best, though! …What was it called again, Cody?"

"The Sakura Tornado Strike! It _was _the best thing in the episode, I agree."

Cue Miles Edgeworth walking up to Cody, and prodding him lightly in the back to get his attention.

"Uh….Mr. Hackins?"

"What is it, gramps?! We're having a talk here!" Cody yelled, and Edgeworth looked a little offended at his remark. However, he continued to talk, and what he said astounded both Maya and Cody, and caused Phoenix to burst into laughter in an instant.

"I just came to inform you that the Steel Samurai's combo move last night was, in fact, the Sakura _Whirlwind _Strike."

* * *

Phoenix was lost in happy thought, reminiscing about all sorts of things in the past, until he heard a deafening knock outside his door and nearly jumped out of his skin in fright.

Slowly, he got up and, making sure Edgeworth was still asleep, reached for the doorknob in confusion.

_Who could that be? _

_I mean, I don't have any clients, Trucy doesn't have any friends coming over, Apollo hasn't got any clients yet…_

Standing outside the door was a furious, red-faced Franziska von Karma, her whip clutched in her violently shaking hand.

Phoenix whimpered, as he knew- or _thought _he knew- what was coming, but as if to read his thoughts Franziska threw her free hand onto the door and made sure he couldn't get out.

"You have a_ lot_ of explaining to do."

* * *

How did you like it? :)  
Poor Feenie...he's in for a whipping! :c

Reviews are always helpful! :D  
They help keep me writing chapter after chapter of stuff, so I appreciate them so much.

Thanks again, and I'll see you in Chapter 4! :3


	4. Explain Yourself!

Reconciliation

First off, I owe you all an Apollogy before we start Chapter 4.

This chapter is a bit late in arriving because I've been quite busy, and on top of that I had one moment where I just...didn't have any ideas.  
So, while I was at a mini local concert-thing, I got a HUGE brainstorm and basically made this chapter into the longest one I've ever written for Reconciliation! :D

It's also a bit late because I am such a bad procrastinator...sorry about that. :c

I also Apollogize for my last chapter. I read it over, and...yeah, it isn't my best work.  
So I hope you enjoy this chapter all the more! :)

* * *

Chapter 4: Explain Yourself!

Phoenix Wright had found himself face-to-face with an outraged prosecutor gripping onto a long leather whip, and couldn't escape into the hallway- so he ran back inside the Wright Anything Agency and to the far end of the office. He tried to think of a way to stop the punishment that he _knew _he was going to receive- but unfortunately, Franziska von Karma rushed in behind him and whipped him extremely hard on his left arm, making him cry out in pain.

"Franziska, please don't whip me again…" he whimpered, expecting her to hesitate- and it worked perfectly. Franziska stood still, her finger upon her chin as though she was thinking, and a small frown of pity upon her face…until she turned back towards him and whipped him again.

_CRACK!_

"How about _no_, Phoenix Wright?!" she exclaimed, as Phoenix switched to plan B.

_Look, Phoenix….If you can't persuade her, make her laugh!_

Phoenix had accidentally forgotten, in his bout of panic, that Franziska was not one for jokes.

Not at all.

"Um…I'd prefer _yes, _if that'd be OK with you."

_CRACK!_

"No, it _isn't _OK with me!"

"Owwww…Franziska, why have you burst into my office and started to whip me? I didn't do anything…" Phoenix moaned, clutching his arm tightly.

Franziska frowned and turned away from him, glaring furiously at the wall opposite.

"Just a few hours ago, you tried to trick me, Phoenix Wright. You thought- inside your foolishly foolish head- that it would be a good idea to pretend that you were Klavier Gavin. Isn't that right?"

Phoenix gulped as he remembered how he had barely gotten away from her wrath earlier that day, and had mentally told himself to explain it all to Klavier later.

…He _hadn't_ told Klavier- as he was so occupied with everything else- and hadn't even thought about telling Franziska.

_CRACK!_

"_Isn't that right?! Ich hasse dich!_" Franziska repeated, gritting her teeth in anger and frustration.

Phoenix immediately realised something and gasped, trying his best to keep Franziska quiet.

_Edgeworth's still sleeping!_

"Phoenix Wright! _I am talking-_"

"Franziska, be quiet! Edgeworth is sleeping!" Phoenix yelled, pointing rapidly towards the sofa. Franziska suddenly heard a small rustling noise from the other side of the blue piece of furniture and her eyes widened in shock for a moment- but her eyebrows furrowed as she turned and glared at Phoenix.

_It can't be my little brother down there. After all, Phoenix Wright was trying to foolishly trick me, wasn't he- he wouldn't try to help my brother, or at any rate take him back here…_

"Wright…stop shouting, please…I'm trying to sleep."

At this, Franziska gasped and rushed to the other side of the sofa, shaking Edgeworth rapidly to get him to wake up. She suddenly felt guilty; Edgeworth _had _been sleeping peacefully, after all, and Franziska _knew _that with someone like Phoenix Wright around, he was not going to get much more sleep.

Opening his eyes, Edgeworth looked up to see Franziska's worried face looking closely down at him, her short blue hair almost brushing his cheeks. It took all his courage not to scream out in his usual manner when something frightened him- he _knew _that if Wright heard it…well, let's just say that Edgeworth would understand Apollo's plight a bit better- but he still moved backwards in shock, despite the fact he was almost flat on his back.

"Franziska, what are you-"

"Miles! A-are you all right? I mean, with the earthquakes and all…"

Edgeworth smiled and rolled his eyes, Franziska raising an eyebrow in confusion at his gesture. Phoenix still stood behind the sofa- he didn't _dare _to approach the two siblings mid-conversation- but listened in as much as he could, raising an eyebrow himself at Franziska's odd behaviour.

"No, I'm their biggest fan, Franziska…" Edgeworth stated, causing Franziska to start laughing weakly. Edgeworth suddenly couldn't help it and started laughing himself, unaware that Phoenix was still listening in.

_Franziska is being very friendly today, _Phoenix thought, before realising something. His shoulders drooped and his hands fell down to his sides as he sighed.

_She isn't being very nice to me, though…_

"I'm so glad you're OK, Miles."

"Actually," Edgeworth began, Franziska listening closely in, "Wright brought me here to keep me company. Somehow, there haven't been any more earthquakes yet, though. Strange, isn't it?"

After Edgeworth has spoken these words, Franziska was up like a shot and ran towards Phoenix, stopping herself from running into him at the last moment. Phoenix didn't know what to say, but slowly started to lift his hands from his sides in case he needed to cover his face.

"Tut mir leid, Phoenix Wright…" Franziska mumbled, as Phoenix stood confused at her use of German.

"I didn't think before I spoke to you; I just felt so…so _angry _that no-one would be willing to help my brother, but now I know what you did, so…tut mir leid…"

Phoenix wondered how the fearsome Prosecuting Prodigy had come from a perfection-obsessed, whip-loving, fool-despising genius to this: friendly, apologetic… well, maybe _still _whip loving, fool despising and _definitely _still a genius, but she was surely different. Phoenix knew better than to speak his thoughts aloud in front of Franziska, however, and so focused on the strange word that Franziska had said.

"_Toot mear lied? _What does that mean?" Phoenix asked, looking desperately at the other side of the sofa. A loud clearing of the throat was heard, and it reminded Phoenix of a lawyer he had known many years ago.

"You were never good at foreign languages back in school, were you?"

"Nope." Phoenix replied, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. He could sense a hint of irritation in Edgeworth's voice- after all, Edgeworth had spent most of his childhood in Germany, and a phrase as simple and as basic as that would, to him, have seemed like the easiest thing a person could ever remember.

"Tut mir leid means _I am sorry_, Wright, and though I'm certainly no expert on… _feelings _myself, I'm quite certain she wants you to forgive her."

Phoenix smirked a little at that comment.

"Honestly, I'm no expert either, Edgeworth." Phoenix laughed, turning back towards Franziska.

"Franziska, it's alright; I forgive you. We all make mistakes sometimes."

Franziska hung her head even lower at the sound of the word 'mistakes'. It resonated throughout her ears, taunting her with ghosts of the past.

It only seemed like yesterday that her late father, the extremely successful Manfred von Karma, was lecturing her that 'the von Karma name must be honoured' and 'a von Karma is _perfect, _and nothing short of perfection will be tolerated'.

Franziska, of course, after hearing of Manfred's trial, death and execution, realised that not all von Karmas were perfect- but she had refused to believe that _she _wasn't still perfect.

Now, years and years later, after many things had happened to her- she was here.

Where she wanted to be.

She was a prosecutor, she was feared and admired by many, she had people who she loved and whom she could trust- and she wasn't alone.

It was a perfect situation.

All of a sudden, Franziska snapped out of her reminiscence, lifted her head up and smiled warmly, her eyes gleaming. Both Edgeworth and Phoenix were taken aback at this, and Franziska laughed; a loud, gleeful laugh that echoed and bounced off the walls of the office.

Phoenix shuddered in memory of Kristoph Gavin's sinister laugh; but this laugh was different. He knew that, like that horrible guffaw that had dominated the courtroom it had sounded in for several days, this one would stay for some time. Franziska's laugh, however, was heart-warming, and extremely surprising too- Phoenix still couldn't grasp why Franziska was behaving pleasant around him.

A question from Edgeworth broke the awkward silence that followed Phoenix's contemplation.

"So, Wright. What would you like to do, now that I'm fully awake?"

Phoenix stood for a moment and thought about it, his finger resting on his chin.

"You know, that's a good question…"

As if on cue, Apollo and Trucy suddenly burst through the door, the latter looking much more cheerful- as always. Apollo carried a heavy-looking book with a dusty brown cover that both Phoenix and Edgeworth recognized immediately, and Trucy carried a long tube of ready-salted Pringles. After setting the tube of crisps down on to the table, Trucy spotted Franziska and turned, in confusion, to Phoenix.

"Daddy? Who is that woman over there?"

Franziska sauntered over to Trucy in her usual manner, a pretentious smirk beginning to show at the corners of her lips. Phoenix sighed and shook his head.

_Franziska is so unpredictable sometimes._

"My name is Franziska von Karma, Prosecuting Prodigy and heir to the von Karma name. This man over here is Miles Edgeworth, my slightly foolish albeit extremely intelligent and logical brother and fellow subordinate," Franziska began, gesturing lightly towards Edgeworth, "and that man is defence attorney Phoenix Wright, who never gives up on _anyone _and has utter belief in them- but he's a fool at best."

Phoenix looked briefly over at his daughter- who was standing still in a state of both awe and shock, and was gazing up at Franziska, her eyes sparkling- and laughed at

Franziska's opinion of him.

"Franziska, you don't have to be _that _harsh on me-" he started, and was answered with a brief whip lash- that, he noted, was a very light one- and a frustrated sigh as Franziska turned back towards Trucy.

"Alright…he isn't _too _much of a fool, but back when he was a rookie lawyer and I was up against him, he bluffed and grasped for straws at every single 'contradiction' that he was challenged with."

Franziska crossed her arms in evident disgust.

"It was _extremely _pathetic to watch…" she stated, and Trucy giggled a little at her curt remark.

Edgeworth frowned; he felt like Franziska was being a little _too _unfair on Phoenix, and cleared his throat, ready to point out exactly that- but Apollo got there first.

"Hey! I'll have you know that Mr. Wright was _anything but _pathetic!" Apollo yelled, his eyebrows furrowed and eyes wide. Franziska was taken aback for a moment, but sniggered shortly afterward.

"And who's _he? _The coffee boy?"

Phoenix walked over to the coffee table and grabbed the tube of Pringles, taking a small handful for himself, and tipped a minority of them into his mouth.

"His name is Apollo Justice- _MUNCH_- he's my understudy- _MUNCH_- and I beg of you to spare him from your whip."

Franziska glared at Phoenix, deterring him from eagerly devouring his next crisp.

"Why should I, Phoenix Wright?"

Everyone (apart from Franziska, of course) instantly thought of Marvin the Magnificent Mouse, and how Phoenix had insisted that he be kept in Apollo's apartment- even though Apollo was deathly scared of mice. Everyone also remembered how Phoenix constantly teased Apollo; although it was only for fun, it _did _seem to embarrass and humiliate Apollo quite badly.

"He tortures me enough…" Apollo moaned, earning himself a laugh from Phoenix and a nod of agreement from Trucy and Edgeworth. Franziska had no idea what the others were doing, so she turned back to Trucy- who she was happy to see gazing up at her.

"Where was I? Oh, yes. I was here to visit my little brother-"

"_Big _brother, you mean." Edgeworth corrected, interrupting Franziska's conversation with a smirk.

"Yes, yes, _big _brother… Now, I was just here visiting Miles Edgeworth to enquire about both his mental and physical stability after a duo of treacherous earthquakes, which I believed to have shaken him quite a bit. However, after Phoenix's quick, and…extremely smart actions, Miles seems fine."

Franziska held out her hand, and Trucy shook it, almost in a daze.

"Would you enlighten me as to who _you _are, young girl?"

Trucy still stood motionless, staring at Franziska as if she was some sort of deity. Trucy had heard a _lot _about Franziska from Phoenix, but she wasn't as amazing and intimidating in his long, rambling accounts as meeting her in person.

Slowly turning towards her father, she saw him give her a small nod of encouragement, and then took a deep breath.

"HellomynameisTrucyWrightI'mPhoenix'sdaughterandI' mamagicianintrainingit'sverynicetomeetyoumissvonKa rma!"

Everyone stared at Trucy, confused, until Franziska's voice broke the silence.

"If you would like to speak, just do so…but a little bit slower, if that's OK with you?"

Trucy immediately perked up, and-after remembering who she was talking to- curtseyed politely towards Franziska, much to everyone's amusement.

"Hello, my name is Trucy Wright. I am Phoenix Wright's adopted daughter, and I am currently training my hardest to become a magician and make my father and my family proud."

Suddenly, Trucy looked over at Phoenix, and he felt his own heart swell with pride.

He had never even thought that he would have a daughter who was caring, talented, respectful…let alone a child of his own to raise.

"_I_ am here to see how everyone is doing. It is very nice to meet you, Miss Franziska von Karma."

Franziska smirked; she didn't expect an introduction such as this- especially from the daughter of someone such as _Phoenix Wright_- but she was sure she and Trucy would get along nicely.

The room sprung into action as Trucy fell silent; Phoenix went to the shop to buy some more Earl Grey teabags, Franziska and Trucy flicked through the pages of the photo album Apollo had brought downstairs, laughing occasionally at the odd embarrassing photo ("Did my dad _actually _wear a sweater like _that?_"), and Edgeworth stood tranquilly- engaged in his own thoughts.

Apollo slowly walked over to Edgeworth and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Yes, Mr. Justice?" Edgeworth asked, noticing Apollo blushing as red as his suit.

"You can call me Apollo, Mr. Edgeworth, if y-you would like to…"

"I sincerely _apolo_gize for my mistake, Apollo." Edgeworth replied, smirking a little at the pun he had found.

_Puns seem to be everywhere these days. _

_Especially in people's names, I have discovered…_

"I-It's OK, Mr. Edgeworth. Now….do you perhaps…like a show called the Steel Samurai?"

Edgeworth's eyes lit up like a rekindled flame as he grinned widely.

"Why, yes, I do. What is it you need to ask?"

"Well," Apollo began, letting out a short sigh of relief and becoming much more relaxed, "I never really _did _understand Episode 348..."

"Ah, 348. With the bank heist?"

"Yes, that one."

"It had quite a complex plot, didn't it? Well, I'll tell you what I know…"

And so, Edgeworth and Apollo chatted for what seemed like a century about their favourite show, smiling happily. It had been quite some time- for both of them- that they had met up with a fellow Steel Samurai fan, and released all of the excitement from their regular bouts of staying up late to watch Global Studios' latest creation.

Continuing in this matter without any interruption (well, apart from Franziska and Trucy's light talking in the background), Edgeworth and Apollo put all their troubles aside and just talked. With no problem at all.

No case to solve, no contradiction to ponder over, no problem in their way.

That is, until Phoenix returned, with the teabags Edgeworth had asked for- and something else.

"HEY, EVERYBODY!"

Everyone's head turned to see a hyperactive Larry Butz burst through the door, followed by a depressed and slightly embarrassed Phoenix.

"Guess who wanted to tag along for the journey…" Phoenix droned, his head down and his spirits an all-time low.

Edgeworth immediately sighed and lay back down on the sofa, turning away from everybody else.

"Right, I'm going back to sleep. Sorry about cutting our conversation short, Apollo, but it's urgent..." Edgeworth explained, answered with an understanding nod from both Apollo _and _Trucy.

It seemed that they, too, had experienced the aftermath of having Larry around.

Franziska clutched her whip until her knuckles turned white, all the while wearing a dark expression on her face. Her eyes glared fiercely at Larry, who would, no doubt, be her leather friend's next victim.

Her tone was harsh and cold like a hailstorm when she finally decided to speak.

"What do you want, fool? I trust you weren't here to annoy us?" she barked, as Larry stepped backwards and closer to the door- far away from Franziska's grasp.

"N-no! I just came to- EDDDDDDDGGGGGEEEEEYYYY!" Larry yelled, realising that his friend was ignoring him. Shaking Edgeworth violently seemed to do the trick, and Edgeworth sat up like a shot.

"What is it _now_?!"

"Edgeeeey! Are you sure you aren't feeling…well, 'edgy' today?"

As the others groaned at the badness of Larry's pun (it was a habit of Larry's nowadays to crack puns like that often- and they were _always_ bad ones), Larry turned to face them with a goofy grin on his face.

"I mean, who wouldn't want to be visited by me, the one and only Larry Butz?!"

Everyone standing in the Wright Anything Agency raised his or her hand- Franziska and Edgeworth's being the first up.

"Oh, come on, guys…!" Larry moaned, as Franziska got up and stormed over to the front door, checking her watch as she did so.

"I have things to do at my office, everyone, so I will be taking my leave- if you won't _need me_, that is…" Franziska added, shooting another glare in Larry's direction.

"No, no, not at all. We'll be fine…" groaned Phoenix and Edgeworth in unison and Franziska could not help smiling. She would be free of that foolish fool before you could say, 'When something smells, it's usually the Butz.'

In addition, even though Phoenix and her brother had changed…they still had to pay for being fools back when Phoenix was still a lawyer.

Franziska deserved revenge; on Phoenix because he defeated her in court multiple times while seeming to bluff throughout the whole trial, and Edgeworth because of some of the events that happened in their childhood together.

And what better way than to do it than _this? _She desperately needed to do some work on a certain case she was prosecuting soon _anyway_, as she had lost track of time.

_Oh, I am so lucky!_

_I almost feel sad for the others, though…_

_Almost._

Franziska, however, did not immediately leave; instead, she did something that surprised everyone there.

She gave Phoenix a friendly hug and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Danke for letting me stay for a while, Phoenix Wright." Franziska beamed, before letting go, reaching for the doorknob and turning it, opening the door fully.

Stepping outside, she breathed the fresh air and-

"WOAH! I _KNEW _you two were in love!"

It seems Larry had taken Franziska's parting gift as a sign that his previous theory was correct, but he could not be any more wrong. Glares bore into him as Apollo and Trucy left the room, mischievous grins on their faces.

"W-what?" Larry asked nervously, anticipating what was coming. Nobody answered him, however, and Franziska turned to both Phoenix and Edgeworth as she shut the front door with a deafening slam.

"I think I'll be staying a while longer…"

* * *

...

Ten minutes later, Larry staggered into his apartment, bruises and red marks covering his body and his eyes bloodshot. After collapsing onto the sofa with a groan, he vowed to keep as far away from the Wright Anything Agency as was possible for some time.

* * *

Did you guys like it? I hope so. :3

Larry _sure _got a whipping! XD  
I know Larry's arrival was quite unexpected, however we can _all_ agree that Larry is a character whose actions can be _extremely _unexpected. :)

The Prosecutranslator is now going to translate Franziska's (very little) German speech for you:

Ich hasse dich - I hate you

Tut mir leid - I am sorry (but if you didn't notice that Edgeworth already translated that... O_O)

Danke - Thank you

. . .

That's it! :D

So, anyway, keep reviewing, writing, reading (Read a Phoenix Wright fanfiction called _Little Lion Man. _I beg of you. X3) and just doing whatever makes you happy until I see you in Chapter 5!

Toodle-pip! :)


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